Retractable cap for a nozzle of a caulking tube retained in a caulking gun

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for capping the tip of the nozzle of a caulking tube retained in a caulking gun to prevent the caulking tube from leaking caulking material such as latex or silicone during non-use. The apparatus has a cap portion, a housing portion, and a retractable flexible cord to provide a retractable cap to be used with the caulking tube placed in a caulking gun to prevent leakage when the caulking gun and caulking tube are not in use. The housing contains a retraction member which is placed under force when the cap is pulled away from the retraction member and placed over the tip of the caulking tube nozzle. When the cap is removed from the caulking tube nozzle, the tension from the retraction member causes the flexible cord to pull the cap to a location adjacent the housing so that the cap can be easily retrieved and not lost.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from provisional patent application62/711,583, filed on Jul. 29, 201, which is incorporated by referenceherein.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to the field of constructiontool accessories, and more particularly to a retractable cap for anozzle of a caulking tube retained in a caulking gun.

The present invention is an apparatus for capping the end of a nozzle ofa caulking tube retained in a caulking gun. The caulking tube has acylindrical sidewall terminating at a front end in a nozzle andterminating at the rear end in a generally flat rear wall. The caulkingtube is placed in a caulking gun. The nozzle is inserted through a frontopening in the caulking gun, and the rear end wall of the caulking tubeis adjacent a ratchet assembly in the caulking gun. The caulking tubecontains caulking material. The front end of the nozzle is opened sothat the caulking material is dispensed though the front opening in thenozzle. A cap is placed over the front of the nozzle to prevent thecontents from leaking out of the caulking tube.

In operation, the cap is removed and the ratchet assembly is operated bysqueezing a trigger portion which pushes the back wall into the caulkingtube to squeeze the contents out of the front opening in the nozzle. Asthe trigger is activated, the ratchet mechanism advances the back wallinto the caulking tube interior to compress and force the caulkingmaterial from the interior.

The problem addressed by the present invention is retaining the capafter it is removed from the nozzle. A user may place the cap on asurface and forget where the cap was placed, or the cap may roll awayand be lost.

The present invention provides an apparatus for retaining the cap on thedistal end of a flexible cord where the proximal end of the flexiblecord is affixed to a retention mechanism in a housing. The housing usesan affixing member to affix the housing member to the caulking gun,usually on a sidewall adjacent to the ratchet assembly. The cap can bepulled away from the retraction member and placed on the nozzle to sealthe nozzle and stop any caulking material from leaking.

The retraction member exerts the pulling or retraction effect on the capto retract the cap into a stowed position. The pulling effect on the capis transmitted by the flexible cord, which transmits the force from theretraction member by tightening the retraction member and causing theretraction member to compress and creates a tension force. When the capis removed from the nozzle, the retraction member, which is undercompressed tension, causes the flexible cord to be pulled back into thehousing so that the cap lies adjacent to the exterior of the housing. Inthis stowed position, the cap will not be misplaced or lost.

When the caulking process is complete, the cap is grasped and a pullingforce causes the flexible cord to be once again pulled out of thehousing, so the cap is placed on the opening to prevent the caulkingtube from leaking latex, silicone, or other caulking material duringnon-use.

There is a need for a retention for the cap that includes a retractablemechanism that retracts a nozzle cap out of the way while using thecaulking gun.

SUMMARY

The present application discloses a retracting caulking tube nozzle capthat secures a nozzle cap to a caulking gun.

In some embodiments, the inventions include a cap portion, a housingportion, and a retractable flexible cord. During the construction ofprojects, contractors and users of a caulking gun consistently have theneed to use the caulking gun for a period of time to create a watertight seal or to fill a gap. Often, immediately after use of a caulkinggun, there is a need to perform a second task and the caulking gun needsto be temporarily stored until the caulking gun is needed again. It iscommon for the caulking tube in the caulking gun to leak latex orsilicone if the caulking gun is laid down or inverted.

In some embodiments, the inventions provide a cap affixed to the nozzleof a caulking tube so that once the caulking tube is open, caulkingmaterial will not flow out of the caulking tube unless intentionallyflows via the ratchet mechanism. The caulking tube is placed in acaulking gun. The innovation is to have a cap attached to a flexiblecord and the opposite end of the flexible cord affixed to a retractablemechanism. If the cap is removed, tension from the retraction mechanismon the flexible cord causes the cap to be pulled backward to be adjacentthe housing where the retraction mechanism is located. Therefore, thisprovides a mechanism by which the cap is not lost if it is set down in aseparate place where it could easily be mislaid. Therefore, thisinnovation assures that the cap can be located when it is necessary toreplace the cap onto the caulking nozzle after the caulking gun has beenused, and it enables capping the nozzle so that no caulking materialwill flow out.

In some embodiments, the inventions provide a housing retaining aretraction mechanism affixed to a clip, which is affixed to a locationnear the ratchet mechanism remote from where the cap is affixed to thefront of the discharge nozzle of the caulking tube. The cap is affixedto a flexible cord. The flexible cord at its proximal end is affixed tothe retraction mechanism, and the flexible cord at its distal end isaffixed to the cap. Therefore, when the cap is pulled away from thehousing, the retraction mechanism is placed under tension and then thecap is placed onto the front of the nozzle. When it is necessary toremove the cap, after the cap is removed the tension from the source ofretraction causes the flexible cord to pull the cap to a locationadjacent the housing where it is clipped to the caulking gun so that thecap can be located when it is desired to reaffix it to the front of thenozzle.

In some embodiments, the present inventions provide a cap that is sizedto receive the end of the nozzle of a caulking tube.

In some embodiments, the present inventions provide a flexible cord thatconnects the cap to the housing with the flexible cord beingretractable. The flexible cord is connected to a recoil spring thatbecomes biased or loaded when the cap is pulled or extended away fromthe housing.

Said invention is an apparatus for capping the tip of a nozzle of acaulking tube retained in a caulking gun, the apparatus comprising:

-   -   a. a housing portion, a cap portion, and a flexible cord with        said housing portion having a housing front vertical wall and a        housing rear vertical wall;    -   b. said housing front vertical wall having a front vertical wall        opening that leads to a housing interior chamber which contains        a retraction member that is affixed to a proximal end of said        flexible cord;    -   c. a distal end of said flexible cord affixed to a closed end of        said cap portion, said cap portion having an opening leading to        an interior chamber that is surrounded by a circumferential        vertical wall with said closed end opposite to the opening;    -   d. said interior chamber of said cap is sized to receive said        tip of said nozzle;    -   e. said housing portion having a spring clip affixed to at least        one of the housing exterior sidewalls with said spring clip        having a first clip vertical wall that is flush and parallel        with at least one of the housing exterior sidewalls;    -   f. said first clip vertical wall is retained within at least one        housing exterior sidewall opening and said first clip vertical        wall extends towards said housing rear vertical wall and        contains an approximate 180 degree curve to form a second clip        vertical wall that extends at a downward angle towards at least        one of the housing exterior sidewalls until reaching a        connection point and then extending upward for a distance;    -   g. whereby, in operation, the cap is pulled away from the        retraction member and placed over the tip of the nozzle, the        pulling effect causes the retraction member to be forced into        tension, and when the cap is removed from the tip of the nozzle,        the retraction member causes the flexible cord to be pulled back        into the housing so that the cap is adjacent to the exterior of        the housing.

Further novel features and other objects of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description and discussion.

The disclosed innovations, in various embodiments, provide one or moreof at least the following advantages. However, not all of theseadvantages result from every one of the innovations disclosed, and thislist of advantages does not limit the various claimed inventions.

-   -   Increased productivity.    -   Ease of keeping track of a caulking nozzle cap.    -   Improved cleanliness.    -   Decreased incidents of waste from leaking caulk.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosed inventions will be described with reference to theaccompanying drawings, which show important sample embodiments of theinvention and which are incorporated in the specification hereof byreference, wherein:

FIG. 1A is a top perspective view of the present invention caulking gunretractable member with the nozzle cap in the retracted condition;

FIG. 1B is a side perspective view of the present invention caulking gunretractable cap in the retracted condition;

FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view of the housing member including theinterior of the housing member, the coil spring retraction member andthe flexible cord affixed to the retraction member at a proximal end andaffixed to a cap (illustrated in a side-perspective view) at the distalend at the flexible cord;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the interior of the cap portion of thepresent invention retractable cap of a caulking tube placed in acaulking gun;

FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of the present invention caulking tuberetractable cap in the extended position away from the housing which isremovably affixed to a portion of a caulking gun adjacent the trigger;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the present invention caulkingtube retractable cap separated from the caulking tube within a caulkinggun with the clip portion of the present invention housing affixed to arear sidewall of the caulking gun and the retractable cap extendedbeyond the location of the nozzle of a caulking tube retained in acaulking gun; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the present invention caulking gunretractable cap with the clip portion affixed to a rear sidewall of thecaulking gun and the retractable cap extended and fitting on the nozzleof a caulking tube retained in the caulking gun.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

The numerous innovative teachings of the present application will bedescribed with particular reference to presently preferred embodiments(by way of example, and not of limitation). The present applicationdescribes several inventions, and none of the statements below should betaken as limiting the claims generally.

In the following discussion, numerous specific details are set forth toprovide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However,those skilled in the art will appreciate that embodiments may bepracticed without such specific details. Furthermore, lists and/orexamples are often provided and should be interpreted as exemplary onlyand in no way limiting embodiments to only those examples.

Exemplary embodiments are described below in the accompanying Figures.The following detailed description provides a comprehensive review ofthe drawing Figures in order to provide a thorough understanding of, andan enabling description for, these embodiments. One having ordinaryskill in the art will understand that in some cases well-knownstructures and functions have not been shown or described in detail toavoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the embodiments.

Referring to FIGS. 1A, 1 B, IC, 2, and 3, caulking gun retractable cap10 comprises a housing portion 20, a cap portion 50, and a flexible cord70. As depicted in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, housing portion 20 has a housingfront vertical wall 21 and a housing rear vertical wall 23. As shown byFIG. 1C, in the cross-sectional view of housing portion 20, the housingfront vertical wall 21 has a front vertical wall opening 21A that leadsinto housing interior chamber 24, which contains a retraction member 75,such as a coiled spring 75, affixed to a proximal end 73 of the flexiblecord 70. A distal end 71 of flexible cord 70 attaches to a closed end 58of a cap 50 as depicted in FIG. 3.

As depicted in FIG. 2, cap 50 has an interior chamber 52 surrounded by acylindrical vertical wall 54. Cap vertical wall 54 further contains acap opening 56 at one end of cylindrical vertical wall 54, and furthercontains enclosed cap end 58 opposite to the cap opening 56 as alsodepicted in FIG. 3. Interior chamber 52 is sized to receive a tip of anozzle 2010 of a caulking tube 2000 (illustrated in FIG. 4).

Referring back to FIG. 1A, housing portion 20 includes on exteriorsidewall 28 a spring clip 26 for clipping the housing portion 20 to acaulking gun 1000. Although as depicted, a spring clip 26 is used, thespring clip 26 may be replaced by one or more strong magnets to attachhousing portion 20 to caulking gun 1000. Other methods can be used toaffix the housing portion 20 to caulking gun 1000, or the housingportion 20 may be integrated into the caulking gun 1000.

Referring to FIGS. 1B and 4, and more particularly to FIG. 1B, asdepicted, housing portion 20 includes spring clip 26 affixed to at leastone of the housing exterior sidewalls 28. Spring clip 26 has a firstclip vertical wall 30 that is flush and parallel with at least one ofthe housing exterior sidewalls 28. First clip vertical wall 30 isretained within at least one housing exterior sidewall opening 28A.First clip vertical wall 30 extends towards housing rear vertical wall23 and contains an approximate 180 degree curve 32 to form a second clipvertical wall 34 that extends at a downward angle towards at least oneof the housing exterior sidewalls 28 until reaching a connection point35 to contact either housing exterior sidewall 28 or first clip verticalwall 30 and then extend slightly upward for a distance 36. As notedearlier, spring clip 26 can be replaced by one or more strong magnets.

Referring again to FIGS. 1B and 4, in operation connection point 35 ofspring clip 26 is extended outwardly to form a gap prior to placinghousing portion 20 of the present invention caulking gun retractable cap10 over a caulking tube nozzle 2010 (illustrated in FIG. 4). The springclip 26 can be clipped onto the caulking gun 1000 proximate to acaulking tube retention 1010.

Referring again to FIGS. 1A, IB, 1C, 2, and 3, and more particularly toFIG. 1C, as depicted, housing portion 20 includes housing interiorchamber 24 containing coil spring 75 for retracting flexible cord 70. Asdepicted in FIG. 1C, coil spring 75 can be connected with proximal end73 of the flexible cord 70 to wind and unwind around coil spring 75 asthe flexible cord 70 is extended or retracted from housing interiorchamber 24. As depicted in FIG. 3, when cap portion 50 is extended awayfrom housing portion 20, coil spring 75 rotates to tighten and becomeloaded by forcing the coil springs 75 to wind together and create aretraction load or force onto flexible cord 70. As flexible cord 70 ispulled from housing portion 20, flexible cord unwinds from the interiorchamber 24 and winds coil spring 75. The load created can cause capportion 50 attached to distal end 71 of flexible cord 70 to retracttoward housing portion 20 from an extended position when released if notprevented from retracting. Flexible cord 70 will be drawn into interiorchamber 24 to wind around coil spring 75 by the load created by thewound coil spring 75, causing the closed end 58 of cap portion 50 to beretained against vertical wall opening 21A.

Once the housing portion 20 is secured to caulking gun 1000 via springclip 26, a user can extend cap portion 50 and flexible cord 70 to adesired distance as shown in FIG. 4, where cap portion 50 can be placedover the open tip 2011 of the nozzle 2010 as depicted in FIG. 5 toprevent leakage of silicone, latex or other caulking material 1000during the non-use of the caulking gun. By extending flexible cord 70, aretraction load or force is created inside housing portion 20, whichwill act to retract flexible cord 70 into the housing interior chamber24 if the cap portion 50 is removed from open tip 2011.

Further details of usage of the caulking tube retractable cap isprovided in FIG. 5. As depicted in FIG. 5, caulking gun 1000 includeshandle 1080 and ratchet 1060. Housing portion 20 is mounted so as to lieproximate to and between ratchet 1060 and rear end 2050 of caulking tube2000. Caulking tube 2000 includes cylindrical body 2030 having a rearend 2050 and a front end 2040. Nozzle 2010 extends from front end 2040and is capped by cap portion 50 to seal caulking material withincaulking tube body 2030. Flexible cord 70 attaches to cap portion 50, sothat when cap portion 50 is removed from nozzle 2010, flexible cord 70under tension retracts into housing portion 20 and retain cap portion 50next to and in contact housing portion 20.

It is within the spirit and scope of this invention for the housingportion 20 to be affixed to the caulking gun 1000 by other commonlyknown affixing mechanisms including, but not limited to, hook and loopfasteners (Velcro®), adhesive, rivets, buttons or snaps, and magnets. Itis also within the sprit and scope of this invention for flexible cord70 to be any retractable member commonly known including, but notlimited to, a cord, a cable, a metal strip, or a strip of plastic.Further, it is within the spirit and scope of this invention forflexible cord 70 to be a stretchable member such as a piece of elasticor other stretchable member. In this alternative embodiment with thestretchable member, the retraction member or other spring would beunnecessary.

Insofar as the description above and the accompanying drawing discloseany additional subject matter that is not within the scope of the singleclaim below, the inventions are not dedicated to the public and theright to the one or more applications to claim such additionalinventions is reserved.

Of course the present invention is not intended to be restricted to anyparticular form or arrangement, or any specific embodiment, or anyspecific use, disclosed herein, since the same may be modified invarious particulars or relations without departing from the spirit orscope of the claimed invention hereinabove shown and described of whichthe apparatus or method shown is intended only for illustration anddisclosure of an operative embodiment and not to show all of the variousforms or modifications in which this invention might be embodied oroperated.

The foregoing has described methods and systems for a retractingcaulking tube nozzle cap that are given for illustration and not forlimitation and uses. Thus the inventions are limited only by theappended claims. Although the inventions have been described inaccordance with the embodiments shown, one of ordinary skill in the artwill readily recognize that there could be variations to the embodimentsand those variations would be within the spirit and scope of the presentinventions. Accordingly, many modifications may be made by one ofordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe appended claims.

Particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspectsof the embodiments should not be taken to imply that the terminology isbeing redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics,features, or aspects with which that terminology is associated. Ingeneral, the terms used in the following claims should not be construedto be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed in thespecification, unless the above Detailed Description section explicitlydefines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope of the claimsencompasses not only the disclosed embodiments, but also all equivalentways of practicing or implementing the claimed subject matter.

The above detailed description of the embodiments is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise embodiment or formdisclosed herein or to the particular fields of usage mentioned above.While specific embodiments and examples are described above forillustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possiblewithin the scope of the disclosure, as those skilled in the relevant artwill recognize. Also, the teachings of the embodiments provided hereincan be applied to other systems, not necessarily the system describedabove. The elements and acts of the various embodiments described abovecan be combined to provide further embodiments.

Any patents, applications and other references that may be listed inaccompanying or subsequent filing papers, are incorporated herein byreference. Aspects of embodiments can be modified, if necessary, toemploy the systems, functions, and concepts of the various references toprovide yet further embodiments.

In light of the above “Detailed Description,” the Inventor may makechanges to the disclosure. While the detailed description outlinespossible embodiments and discloses the best mode contemplated, no matterhow detailed the above appears in text, embodiments may be practiced ina myriad of ways. Thus, implementation details may vary considerablywhile still being encompassed by the spirit of the embodiments asdisclosed by the inventor. As discussed herein, specific terminologyused when describing certain features or aspects should not be taken toimply that the terminology is being redefined herein to be restricted toany specific characteristics, features, or aspects of the embodimentswith which that terminology is associated.

While certain aspects are presented below in certain claim forms, theinventor contemplates the various aspects in any number of claim forms.Accordingly, the inventor reserves the right to add additional claimsafter filing the application to pursue such additional claim forms forother aspects.

The above specification, examples and data provide a description of thestructure and use of exemplary implementations of the described systems,articles of manufacture and methods. It is important to note that manyimplementations can be made without departing from the spirit and scopeof the disclosure.

Modifications and Variations

As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, the innovativeconcepts described in the present application can be modified and variedover a tremendous range of applications, and accordingly the scope ofpatented subject matter is not limited by any of the specific exemplaryteachings given. It is intended to embrace all such alternatives,modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scopeof the appended claims.

Various materials may be used to construct the disclosed retractingcaulking tube nozzle cap. For example, the housing may be constructedfrom hard plastic, metal, or a durable polymer or acrylic, and canconstructed using pieces taken from mold.

Various methods can be used to affix the housing to the caulking gun asnoted above. Further, the housing can be affixed to multiple locationson the caulking gun. For example, in an embodiment using a shortflexible cord, the housing can be affixed proximate to front end 2040 ofthe caulking tube, and in some embodiments, can be attached to caulkingtube 2030. In other embodiments, the housing can be integrated into thestructure itself, such as by forging, casting, brazing, welding, orsoldering. As used in the claims herein “affixed” includes the concept“integrated,” such that an affixed housing portion may be structurallyintegrated into the caulking gun rather than requiring an “attached”structurally independent housing.

None of the description in the present application should be read asimplying that any particular element, step, or function is an essentialelement which must be included in the claim scope: THE SCOPE OF PATENTEDSUBJECT MATTER IS DEFINED ONLY BY THE ALLOWED CLAIMS. Moreover, none ofthese claims are intended to invoke paragraph six of 35 USC section 112unless the exact words “means for” are followed by a participle.

The claims as filed are intended to be as comprehensive as possible, andNO subject matter is intentionally relinquished, dedicated, orabandoned.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for capping a nozzle of a caulkingtube retained in a caulking gun, the apparatus comprising: a. a housingportion affixed to a caulking gun, a cap portion, and a flexible cordwith said housing portion having a housing front vertical wall and ahousing rear vertical wall; b. said housing front vertical wall having afront vertical wall opening that leads into a housing interior chamberwhich contains a retraction mechanism that is affixed to a proximal endof said flexible cord; c. a distal end of said flexible cord affixed toa closed end of said cap portion, said cap portion having an openingleading to an interior chamber that is surrounded by a circumferentialvertical wall with said closed end opposite to the opening; d. saidinterior chamber of said cap sized to receive said tip of said nozzle;e. wherein, in operation, the cap is pulled away from the retractionmechanism and placed over the tip of the nozzle, the pulling effectcausing the retraction mechanism to be forced into tension, and when thecap is removed from the tip of the nozzle, the retraction mechanismcauses the flexible cord to be pulled back into the housing so that thecap retracts to adjacent to the exterior of the housing.
 2. Theapparatus for capping a nozzle of a caulking tube retained in a caulkingclaim 1, the apparatus further comprising: f. the housing portioncomprising a spring clip affixed to at least one of the housing exteriorsidewalls with said spring clip having a first clip vertical wall thatis flush and parallel with at least one of the housing exteriorsidewalls.
 3. The apparatus for capping a nozzle of a caulking tuberetained in a caulking claim 2, the apparatus further comprising: g. thefirst clip vertical wall is retained within at least one housingexterior sidewall opening and said first clip vertical wall extendstowards said housing rear vertical wall and contains an approximate 180degree curve to form a second clip vertical wall that extends at adownward angle towards at least one of the housing exterior sidewallsuntil reaching a connection point and then extending upward for adistance.
 4. The apparatus for capping a nozzle of a caulking tuberetained in a caulking claim 1, wherein the flexible cord comprises— acord; a cable; a metal strip; or a strip of plastic.
 5. The apparatusfor capping a nozzle of a caulking tube retained in a caulking claim 1,wherein the housing portion attaches to caulking gun using at least oneof— hook and loop fastener; adhesive; rivets; buttons or snaps; or atleast one magnet.
 6. A retained caulking tube nozzle cap, the nozzle capcomprising: a retention housing attached to a caulking gun having acaulking tube retained therein, the retention housing connected to anozzle cap for capping a nozzle on the caulking tube; a flexible cordhoused within the retention housing, the flexible cord connecting theretention housing to the nozzle cap; wherein the retention housingfurther comprises a retraction coil spring coupled to the flexible cordthat winds up to create a retraction tension when the flexible cordextends to fit the nozzle cap onto the nozzle, and when said nozzle capis removed from said nozzle, the retraction coil spring retracts theflexible cord into the retention housing to wind around the retractioncoil spring and retain the nozzle cap adjacent to and in contact withsaid retention housing.
 7. The retained caulking tube nozzle cap ofclaim 6, wherein the flexible cord comprises— a cord; a cable; a metalstrip; or a strip of plastic.
 8. The retained caulking tube nozzle capof claim 6, wherein the retention housing attaches to the caulking gunusing a hook and loop fastener.
 9. The retained caulking tube nozzle capof claim 6, wherein the retention housing attaches to the caulking gunusing an adhesive.
 10. The retained caulking tube nozzle cap of claim 6,wherein the retention housing attaches to the caulking gun using rivets.11. The retained caulking tube nozzle cap of claim 6, wherein theretention housing attaches to the caulking gun using buttons or snaps.12. The retained caulking tube nozzle cap of claim 6, wherein theretention housing attaches to the caulking gun using at least onemagnet.
 13. The retained caulking tube nozzle cap of claim 6, whereinthe retention housing attaches to the caulking gun using a spring clip.14. The retained caulking tube nozzle cap of claim 6, wherein theretention housing is integrated into the caulking gun.
 15. A method ofretaining a caulking tube nozzle cap on caulking gun, the methodcomprising: attaching a retention housing to a caulking gun having acaulking tube retained therein, the retention housing connected to anozzle cap for capping a nozzle on the caulking tube; housing a flexiblecord within the retention housing, the flexible cord connecting theretention housing to the nozzle cap; winding a retraction coil springwithin the retention housing by extending the nozzle cap to fit onto thenozzle to create a retraction force, the retraction coil spring coupledto the flexible cord; and removing said nozzle cap from said nozzle andallow the retraction force to retract the flexible cord into theretention housing to wind around the retraction coil spring and retainthe nozzle cap adjacent to said retention housing.
 16. The method ofretaining the caulking tube nozzle cap of claim 15, wherein the flexiblecord comprises— a cord; a cable; a metal strip; or a strip of plastic.17. The method of retaining the caulking tube nozzle cap of claim 15,wherein the retention housing attaches to the caulking gun using a hookand loop fastener.
 18. The method of retaining the caulking tube nozzlecap of claim 15, wherein the retention housing is affixed to thecaulking gun using an adhesive, a magnet, or structural integration suchas comprising welding or molding therewith.
 19. The retained caulkingtube nozzle cap of claim 6, wherein the retention housing attaches tothe caulking gun using rivets, buttons, or snaps.
 20. The method ofretaining the caulking tube nozzle cap of claim 15, wherein theretention housing attaches to the caulking gun using a spring clip.